Quick Reality Check Articles

August 29, 2008

Quick Reality Check – Remember that Candles Can Cause House Fires!

Filed under: Quick Reality Check — Tags: , , , — Administrator @ 23:43

1. Candles are in many American homes when electricity is not available due to rural location, not paying the electric bill, or power outages due to inclement weather such as wind or ice.

2. But in many cases, candles are used for decoration or celebration.

3. Candles are often lit to create a relaxing romantic mood and to reduce stress.

4. Many people have become complacent about candles and open flames and fail to recognize the fire dangers associated with using candles.

5. A recent study from the National Fire Protection Association finds that candles are becoming an increasingly common cause of home fires. After declining for many years, candle-related home fires began to increase since 1991.

6. Candle fires are most common in December when the days are short and candles are a part of holiday decorating rituals

7. 40% of home candle fires start in bedrooms! Burning your house down will certainly kill your romantic mood! And will not help reduce stress.

COMMON SENSE SUGGESTIONS:

8. If you use candles ensure that they are in a housing which will not let a fire start if the candles tip over, fall over, or are knocked over. Many designs can provide a romantic mood and reduce your risks. Old Style hurricane lamps are a good example of such a housing.

9. Never leave candles unattended.

10. Extinguish candles before getting into bed for any reason.

11. Keep a small kitchen type extinguisher in any area that you are using candles.

12. REMEMBER: You won’t be relaxed or in a romantic mood if a candle starts a fire in your home!

August 28, 2008

More solar – less oil drilling – a short term and long term sustainability plan

Filed under: Energy — Administrator @ 00:29

We do not need more oil drilling and exploration to secure our energy future.

Currently available, low cost, low maintenance solar hot water and space heating systems could eliminate our need to import oil!
We need to reduce our dependence on oil while maintaining our high standards of living.
In 2002, the United States imported 24.3 quads of energy in the form of oil.

This is approximately 4,137,931,034 barrels of oil.

If you install a mid sized 25 square meter simple, low maintenance, integrated solar hot water and space heating array in New York State for instance, you will collect about 54,812,780 btu per year with a low cost 80% efficient system costing about $2,900. This will reduce you energy bills for heating and hot water by about 75%, or $1,417 per year at current oil prices and will reduce your use of oil by 9.45 barrels of oil.

If 10,000 homes in your town install a simple solar hot water and space heating system that pays for itself in about 2 years in Northern states, 94,500 barrels of oil do not need to be imported.

If 1,000,000 homes in your state or province install a simple solar hot water and space heating system 94,500,000 barrels of oil do not need to be imported. This represents a 2.28% REDUCTION in total oil imports.
 
If all the homes, businesses and government facilities in the United States installed a simple, low cost, low maintenance solar hot water and space heating system, the energy saved in terms of natural gas, oil, and coal could eliminate the need for foreign oil.

August 24, 2008

Quick Reality Check – You are what you “wash with”

Filed under: Baby & Children Health, Quick Reality Check — Tags: , , , , , , — Administrator @ 23:39

1. Phthalates are chemicals which are typically added to plastics such as PVC to increase their flexibility. Phthalates are used in many products from coatings viscosity control agents, gelling agent, film former, stabilizer, dispersant, lubricants, binder, emulsifying agents, and suspending agents in such diverse products as adhesives, glues, agriculture products, building materials, printing inks and coatings and textiles.

2. Some phthalates are being phased out of many products such as children’s toys and baby bottles in the United States and European Union over health concerns. Phthalates have been linked to allergies and altered reproductive development.

3. I was surprised to learn that phthalates are still being used as coatings for pharmaceutical pills, detergents, some food products, and in personal care products including nail polish, perfumes, and even products designed for babies!

4. The skin is the largest organ of the body.

5. The skin allows water and chemicals to be expelled from our bodies and it should not be a great surprise to us that the body can also absorb chemicals into our bodies.

6. One recent study at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, nine different phthalates were found in urine samples collected from 163 infants, aged 2 months to 28 months. This study found a strong correlation between the use of baby lotion, powder and shampoo and higher concentrations of phthalate in an infant’s body.

7. Babies may be more at risk than children or adults because their reproductive, endocrine and immune systems are still developing.

8. Researchers hypothesize but have not conclusively show than phthalate exposure in early childhood has been associated with altered hormone concentrations as well as increased allergies, runny nose and eczema.

9. Although more research is needed to determine if exposing very young children to phthalates is linked with reproductive or other problems as the animal studies suggest, but I think “WHY TAKE A CHANCE?”

10. I personally chose to use lotions, shampoo, and baby powder sparingly unless otherwise indicated for a medical reason to decrease by children’s exposures to phthalates.

11. I am currently researching alternative lotions, shampoo, and baby powders which do not include phthalates in the product or in the packaging. Check upcoming blogs for more information or sign up for more information at Omachron OnLine

Wayne Conrad

August 22, 2008

Bottled Water’s Dirty Secrets

Filed under: Water Treatment — Tags: , , , — Administrator @ 11:55

The United States EPA has expressed a number of concerns about bottled water as follows:

1. An estimated 25% – 40% of bottled water comes from the tap.

2. Some of the polycarbonate bottles used in home delivery jugs and small water bottles can leave trace amounts of bisphenol A, an endocrine disrupter in the water.

3. Some bottled water is treated less than tap water or not treated at all.

4. Many choices of bottled water may not be appropriate for pregnant women, individuals with compromised immune systems and infants.

NON EPA COMMENT:

1. Why pay 100x more for tap water because it is bottled?

2. Endocrine disrupters, sometimes called hormonally active agents, are substances that act like hormones in the endocrine system and disrupt the physiologic function of endogenous hormones. Studies have linked endocrine disruptors to adverse biological effects in animals, giving rise to concerns that low-level exposure might cause similar effects in human beings. It is hard to definitively link a particular chemical with a specific health effect, and exposed adults may not show any ill effects. But, fetuses and embryos, whose growth and development are highly controlled by the endocrine system, are more vulnerable to exposure and may suffer overt or subtle lifelong health and/or reproductive abnormalities. Why take a chance?

Unless you are on a well which contains contaminants that cannot be effectively removed using a water purification system,

Why pay 100x more for “sub standard” tap water because it is bottled?

Why take a chance?

For more information about water and wastewater treatment subscribe to a newsletter at Omachron OnLine

August 21, 2008

Kill Roaches without Killing Your Family!!!

Filed under: Health — Tags: , — Administrator @ 22:45

1. Cockroaches are vile, disgusting creatures that are nearly impossible to kick out of your house or apartment. Cockroaches live all over the world, but they like to live in homes with people where they can snack on your food, damage wallpaper and books, and spread germs to you and your family.

…………..Cockroaches

2. If you HAVE cockroaches, follow them and find out where they go. This is easier said than done, however, so you might need to do a little sleuthing. Check all around the house for cracks and holes through which roaches may enter. Roaches may enter through drains or vents. If they do, fill the sink with a bit of water at night. Use caulking to seal cracks and joints around pipes and around cabinetry.

3. Cockroaches will eat almost anything!!!. BE AWARE that tiny particles of food that you may leave on your counter tops will become a banquet for cockroaches and their rapidly multiplying families.

4. Pull the stove and the fridge away from the walls and clean under them regularly.

5. Keep all of your food in sealed containers. Use glass or plastic containers for cereals, sugar, flour and other foods. Put all food away. Keep food containers sealed, and don’t leave food out for extended periods — don’t even leave dirty dishes overnight.

6 Keep the kitchen clean. Clean up crumbs and spills promptly, and generally keep the area clean. Clean your range top carefully as cockroaches love grease.

7. Empty trash regularly, and keep trash away from the house.

8. Fix dripping faucets or leaks as cockroaches are attracted to water

9 Prevent bugs from coming up the drain. If you believe that the cockroaches are coming up your drains, pour regular, cheap bleach down the drains before leaving the house in the morning. For a stronger solution, mix 1 part Borax with 3 parts bleach.

10. A simple and effective homemade way to lure and trap roaches is with a jar placed next to a wall, allowing the roaches to get in, but not escape. Any bait can be placed in the jar, including coffee grounds and water, but it also works with just plain water in dryer climates.

11. Move logs, garbage cans, and other debris away from your house. Cockroaches love wood piles and other hiding places. During cold weather they will come inside.

12. Seal any cracks in exterior walls as well as cracks everywhere you can inside your house. This will takes time, but it is worth it because you eliminate most of their favorite hiding/breeding places. You’ll need a lot of low toxicity caulking, so use the big tubes with a caulking gun. Fill every crack inside every cabinet; fill the cracks on both sides of floor, door, and window moldings; fill all openings around pipes in bathrooms and kitchens. This makes a big difference and makes the whole house feel cleaner. THIS WILL ALSO HELP SAVE ENERGY!

IF YOUR COCKROACH PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED BY CUTTING OFF THEIR FOOD SUPPLY AND MEANS OF ENTERING YOUR HOME AND YOU DECIDE TO POISON THEM, DO IT WITHOUT POISONING YOUR FAMILY!!

13. Hydramethylnon and many other commercial chemicals used to kill cockroaches and other insects are toxic, potentially carcinogenic, persistent in your home environment and JUST SIMPLY MAKE ME NERVOUS TO HAVE AROUND!! THEY ARE VERY TOXIC. These chemicals have so many potential size effects that I believe their risks outweigh their benefits.

14. I believe that Borax is the best solution for controlling insects inside my home when it is a problem. Borax is a POISON!!! USE IT CAREFULLY; KEEP IT AWAY FROM KIDS AND PETS. If you have crawling babies, do not use bromide or borax along baseboards, dust inside the walls.

15. Borax, although a poison, is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes. Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is not acutely toxic. This does not mean that it is safe!! It means that a significant dose is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. Simple exposure can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. “In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure.”

16. A reassessment of boric acid/borax by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs found potential developmental toxicity (especially effects on the testes).
MY COMMON SENSE PRECAUTIONS TO HANDLE BORAX INCLUDE WEARING GLOVES, GOGGLES AND AN N95 DUST MASK ON. DO NOT BREATHE IT IN! DO NOT EAT IT!!!! Wash hands after handling.

17.. Borax does not evaporate like many commercial insecticides and pesticides which makes it a better choice to kill cockroaches, ants and fleas than other more volatile materials which will expose all of the members of your household to their chemical vapors.

18. I take a small disposable plastic food container (like Tupperware) and I drill some one quarter inch diameter holes in it. I put about 20g of a mixture of 5g borax, 10g Flour and 5 g cocoa into the Tupperware and I hot glue it closed in case the kids or animals do get at it. I put this “cockroach bait” into cupboards and drawers where there is evidence of cockroaches after I attach child proof locks. This provides an extra precaution I think makes sense.

Quick Reality Check – We REALLY waste energy!

Filed under: Quick Reality Check — Administrator @ 01:12

The “Average American” produces 32,607 lbs CO2 per year!!!!

The “Average American” uses 12,347 kWh of electricity per year!!!!

The “Average American” uses 50,400,000 btu of natural gas per year!!!
(Natural Gas produces 13.446 lbs of carbon dioxide per 100,000 btu)

The “Average American” uses 464 gallons of gasoline in their car per year which produces 9,001 lbs CO2 per year !!!
(Burning 1 gallon of gasoline produces 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide)

The “Average Global Person” only produces 8,750 lbs CO2 per year in all of their annual activities.

Energy Waste

There would be no energy crisis and global warming if we just start to conserve energy in common sense ways which would not harm our standards of living.

Consider the following simple steps:

1. Replace you incandescent and fluorescent lights with high efficiency LED lighting to save about 16% of your electricity costs.

2. Install a low cost (under $1,000) solar hot water system and reduce your electricity bill by over 20%.

3. Install a simple solar space heating system (about $2,400) and reduce your space heating costs by 35%.

4. Reduce you speed on the highway from 75 mph to 65 mph and you can save 15% on your fuel costs.

These steps do not change you quality of life today but will save you money, will enable a great quality of life for your kids and other future generations.

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Information sources:

PG&E’s Climate Smart program, authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission in Decision 06-12-032 – an accurate measurement of emissions from power

Database for Energy Efficient Resources, California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008 Miles-Per-Gallon Updates

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Overview: Pollutants and Programs Average Carbon Dioxide Emissions Resulting from Gasoline

California Energy Commission (CEC): Inventory of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 to 2002 Update, Page A-24, CEC-600-2005-025, June 2005.

World Resources Institute Climate Analysis Indicators Tool Version 3.0 (2002 Emissions Data), which is based on: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration 2004. International Energy Annual 2002

International Energy Agency. 2004. CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion (2004 Edition) Marland, G., T.A. Boden, and R. J. Andres. 2005. Global, Regional, and National Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions — in Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change — Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A.

Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, 2005 — World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision

August 20, 2008

Quick Reality Check – Natural Deodorizers and Toilet Bowl Cleaners

Filed under: Environment, Quick Reality Check — Tags: , , , , , — Administrator @ 12:44

1. Just because a chemical or compound occurs in nature does not make it safe or healthy. Many plants, berries and mushrooms are poisonous or toxic. Lead occurs in nature but it is harmful to living organisms.

2. You should minimize your expose and your family’s exposure to chemicals wherever possible. You should reduce how many different chemicals you use because of their possible harmful interactions. You should also minimize the amount of the chemicals that you choose to use. These actions can improve the health and well being of your family.

3. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), also called sodium hydrogen carbonate is a naturally occurring chemical compound, NaHCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a slightly alkaline white crystalline solid often sold in a powder form.

4. Sodium bicarbonate IS SAFE for people, pets and the environment BUT it should be kept away from children as too much of almost anything can be bad. It has been used as a “soap” and as a cleaner for thousands of years. It is consumed as an antacid, and it is used in baking foods. It has a long history of safe use.

5. Baking soda can be used for many tasks around the house.

6. Use an open container with baking soda in your refrigerator or freezer to keep foods fresh longer. Avoid boxes with a NON BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC MESH! That really helps defeat the idea of reducing pollution. Simply spread a layer of baking soda ½” deep in a re-usable container at least 4″ x 4″. Replace this baking soda monthly but do not throw it out. Keep it to clean your toilets (per step 9).

7. Sprinkle some baking soda into the bottom of garbage bags to eliminate odors rather than using chemical perfumes to mask odors.

8. Eliminate chemical deodorizers in the bathroom by using baking soda as an odor absorber. Simply spread a layer of baking soda ½” deep in a re-usable container at least 4″ x 6″. A small container with vanilla, mint extract, or other essential oils from which one drop can be dispensed into a small dish (which you can fill with dry flowers, pine cones, etc) can acts as a “quick cover up” to avoid toxic sprays and their environmentally unfriendly packaging. Avoid the harsh toxic chemicals found in many commercial deodorizers. Replace this baking soda every month and keep it to clean your toilets (per step 9).

9. Sprinkle the toilet with baking soda and then spray a layer of vinegar over it. Scrub with a brush. This cleans and deodorizes without the harsh chemicals found in toilet bowl cleansers.

10. REMEMBER: Whatever you flush ends up in the water supply from which you drink!!

Quick Reality Check – Sunscreen Choices – Simple Health Aid or Toxic Soup

Filed under: Health, Quick Reality Check — Tags: , , , , — Administrator @ 01:30

1. Sunlight includes “ultraviolet light” known as “UV”, which is a human carcinogen and can cause sunburn inflammation erythema, tanning, and local or systemic suppression of the immune system.

2. Many chemicals found in sunscreens are readily absorbed by the body. Many different byproducts are created when sunscreen chemicals are broken down by sunlight and the many associated and complex chemical reactions which result may be potentially hazardous.

3. Many sunscreens include chemical which have not been fully tested for safety including:
Padimate O,
Cinoxate,
Dioxybenzone,
Oxybenzone,
Homosalate,
Methyl anthranilate,
Octyl salicylate,
Trolamine salicylate.

4. Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid is genotoxic in bacteria. (damages the genetic structure of the bacteria which is not a good thing!)

5. Octocrylene increases reactive oxygen species on the skin associated with skin aging and other potential health risks.

6. Other sunscreen ingredients do protect against skin tumours in mice including:
p-Aminobenzoic acid,
Octyl methoxycinnamate,
Sulisobenzone,
Avobenzone,
Ecamsule,
but human health effects including the effects of breakdown products are not fully understood.

7. Other untested ingredients approved for use as sunscreens in Europe and other countries include:
4-Methylbenzylidene camphor,
Tinosorb M,
Tinosorb S,
Neo Heliopan AP,
Mexoryl XL,
Uvinul T 150,
Uvinul A Plus,
Uvasorb HEB,
Parsol SLX,
Isopentenyl-4-methoxycinnamate.
In addition,these chemicals need yet more chemicals to keep them stable in the bottle until you use them!
BEWARE: You will even find many of these in “kids” sunscreens!!!

8. Many “waterproof” sunscreens do not readily dissolve in water but they do dissolve in the natural oils and fats of the body! Many of them are readily absorbed by the human body and can be found in significant levels the urine of people tested who wore them, even days or weeks after exposure.

9. Adverse health effects may be associated with some synthetic compounds in sunscreens. In 2007 two studies by the CDC highlighted concerns about the sunscreen chemicals oxybenzone (benzophenone-3). The first detected the chemicals in greater than 95% of 2000 Americans tested, and the second found that mothers with high levels of oxybenzone in their bodies were more likely to give birth to underweight baby girls.

10. Titanium dioxide occurs in nature as the well-known white powder used in everything from sunscreen creams s to paint. Titanium dioxide pigment acts as a UV absorber, efficiently transforming destructive UV light energy into heat. It can potentially be hazardous if it is inhaled as a fine powder, but it has been ingested in food and medicines for many years with no reported concerns. Extensive studies by the World Health Organization and the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that ingestion of titanium dioxide at varying diet percentages and over long periods of time did not cause absorption of this mineral by rats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats and human males and was not detected in the blood, liver, kidney or urine and no adverse effects were noted. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2002) allows for its ingestion, external application including the eye area, and considers it a safe substance for public health.

11. Zinc oxide is a common chemical compound is nearly insoluble in water but soluble in acids and alkalis. Zinc oxide in a mixture with about 0.5% iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) is called calamine and is used in calamine lotion, which has been used safely for many years. Zinc oxide is added to many breakfast cereals, as a source of zinc; a necessary nutrient. As a food additive, Zinc oxide is on FDA’s Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substance. Zinc oxide pigment acts as a UV absorber, efficiently transforming destructive UV light energy into heat.

12. I personally prefer to limit my exposure and those of my family and friends to the sun while still enjoying swimming and outdoor sports. We sit in the shade on the beach, and we apply a sunscreen which is a simple preparation based on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. You can choose a sun screen made of either zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both, rather than take the risk of exposing yourself and your children to a chemical soup know as “sunscreen”???

Wayne Conrad

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For more information go to Omachron OnLine

Quick Reality Check – Solar Common Sense-Space heating and Hot Water with a 3-5 year payback

Filed under: Quick Reality Check — Tags: , , , , , — Administrator @ 01:09

1. Solar energy in the form of heat is readily available almost every day throughout the world.

2. Many homes in the United States and Canada are heated in winter.

3. A typical home in the Midwest requires 60 to 80 million btus for a single heating season.

4. Each therm of natural gas, which is defined as 100,000 btus releases 11.68 pounds (5.31kg) of carbon dioxide.

5. A typical Midwestern home heated with natural gas will release 5,840 to 7,008 pounds ( 2655 to 3185kg) of carbon dioxide per year.

6. A simple hot water and supplemental space heating system such as the omachron systems (www.omachrononline.com) cost about $2,400 and will capture about 45 million btus per year in the Midwest which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 5,256 pounds (2,389 kg) and save you about $541 based upon a natural gas cost of about $1.20 per therm.

7. Remember to caulk and insulate well to reduce your heat losses thereby saving even more energy.

August 18, 2008

Quick Reality Check – Keeping your SUV or Light Truck may make sense for the environment

Filed under: Quick Reality Check — Tags: , , , , — Administrator @ 11:28

1. A car or truck using a gallon of gasoline produces about 19.4 pounds (8.8 kg) of CO2.

2. A typical SUV such as a Mercury Mountaineer SUV gets 21 mpg at 65 mph.

3. A typical mid efficiency vehicle such as a Toyota Camry (non hybrid) has a fuel economy of about 35 mpg at 65 mph.

4. If you drive 20,000 miles (32,000 km) per year, the SUV will use 952 gallons of fuel which creates 18,476 pounds (8,398kg) of carbon dioxide.

5. If you drive 20,000 miles (32,000 km) per year, the mid efficiency vehicle with 35mpg rating will only use 571 gallons of fuel which creates 11,086 pounds (5,039kg) of carbon dioxide.

6. On this basis, replacing your SUV with a mid efficiency vehicle makes sense for your finances and makes sense for the environment.

7. If you drive 5,000 miles (8,000km) per year or less, the fuel savings difference is only 95.25 gallons, which amounts to 1,848 pounds of carbon dioxide. It took a significant amount of energy to make your vehicle and it will take significant energy to properly recycle it. On this basis I recommend that you KEEP THE SUV until it ages to the point where it needs significant maintenance provided that you:
(1) check the tires for proper inflation every month;
(2) keep the vehicle properly tuned up;
(3) drive at 65 mph on the highway, (55 mph whenever possible)
(4) keep stop and go city driving to a minimum;
(5) brake and accelerate gently;
(6) Use the SUV or Light truck when you are traveling with more than 4 people, towing a load, or doing work that requires a SUV or Light truck;

8. Consider getting a smaller, more fuel efficient car for occasions that do not require the size and power of a SUV or Light truck.

9. It is important to consider total life cycle accounting into all of your financial and environmental decisions. A very expensive high efficiency vehicle that required huge resources to make or which has toxic byproducts at the end of its useful life may reduce carbon emissions during operation but involves “hidden” carbon in its manufacture or recycling, and may pose other risks to health and the environment.

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Don’t forget to check other practical write ups from Quick Reality Check Series

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